Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., joined Thursday with Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., to introduce legislation the senators say would increase the production and sale of natural gas and propane vehicles and develop natural gas and propane vehicle infrastructure across the country.

The Fueling America Act would provide a consumer tax credit for the purchase of a natural gas or propane vehicle, or the installation of a natural gas or propane refueling station.

The bill also would establish a natural gas and propane vehicle research and development program within the U.S. Department of Energy and require the General Services Administration to study the possibility of increasing the portion of the federal fleet that runs on natural gas or propane.

Based on recent average retail gasoline and residential natural gas prices, fuel cost savings for natural gas vehicles could be nearly $500 a year, the senators say.